Spbiwor-lalsrcet



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

JAMES W. W. GORDON, OE GATONSVILLE, MARYLAND.

SPRING-LANCET.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAS. WV. WV. GORDON, of Catonsville, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Lancets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my improvement of the ordinary 'spring lancet consists in so providing it with a shield, that a certainty of depth in the incision shall be secured and thus all danger of t-ransiixing the vein is obviated, the movable shield serving also as a means of giving the same depth to the cut of the fleam when new, as after repeated sharpenings, its simplicity preventing any liability of accident, and t-he expense of construetion is very slightly increased over those now in use. The lancet being constructed independent of the shield, in which it slides and being confined therein by a set screw, it will be noticed that the blade will enter the vein atthe same angle irrespective of the depth to which the instrument is regulated, and should t-he set screw accidentally become loose, the only effect would be, that of the lancet retreating from the vein by the sliding thereof in the shields or graduator.

, The trigger differs from those of the ordinary spring lancet by being formed with greater breadth and in the number of notches; the object thereof being that of overcoming a difficulty which would otherwise result of obtaining sufficient force of the main spring in bleeding shallow. In that case the handle of the spring is drawn back to the farthest notch, and to the shoulder of the lancet frame; then the mainspring will have its tension.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l, shows the side of the shield with its set screw retaining the lancet frame (see in red dotted line) as drawn toward the back 16,479, dated January 2'?, 1857.

edge of the shield, the ileam in this case will cut shallow. In Fig. 2, the frame is slid across the shield (within which it lies) to the front edge, and in that case the fleam will cut deeply. Fig. 3 is a top view with the slide removed. Fig. 4 is a top and edge view o-f the shield; Fig. 5, a. top and side view of the slide exhibiting the trigger.

The shield (a a) is formed of metal and of a suiicient width to allow the lancet frame Z) to be moved from side to side thereof. A slot or opening (c c) is made in it, for the purpose of allowing the neck of the set screw (CZ) to pass through it; a nut or female screw is formed in the thickness of the lancet frame to fit the screw of (l). The fieam and springs are of the character usually employed in spring lancets, and the lancet is closed within the shield by the slide (e) in the usual manner of such lancets.

(f) is the trigger made broad at its catch end, so as to receive 3 or 4E nicks instead of one to accommodate the change of the spring as the lancet frame is moved from side to side of the shield.

The mode of employing the shield in regulating the depth will readily be understood and its use as a gage for the cut o-f the lancet is important. The lancet and shield after the set screw is tightened is held to the vein in the same manner as the ordinary spring lancet, and the trigger liberated by pressing thereon.

I-Iaving described my improvement what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is The providing the ordinary spring lancet with a sliding shield a a having a movement from side to side in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name before two witnesses.

J. W. lV. GORDON.

' lVitnesses:

J oI-IN F. CLARK, JOHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD. 

